Machine for testing and registering the action of draft-rigging.



W. H. MINER. MACHINE FOR TESTINGVAND REGISTERING THE ACTION 0F DRAFT RIGGING.

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w. H. MINER. MACHINE FOR TESTING AND REGISTERING THE ACTION 0F DRAFT RIGGING.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 7. 1913.

Patented May 4,1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.A

W1 m1555155.` I 1 MMM INVLNTOR IAM/am .A4/Her BY "ATTORIY W. H. IVIINER.

i MACHINE FOR TESTING AND R'EGISTERING THE ACTIONOF DRAFT RIGGING.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 7. IY9I3.

Awwwa May 4,1915.

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L R. Y T T E z T m fm T m QW A H M H. J W m B 9 9 mif 7 W i L y@ W. H. MINER. I

MACHINE FOR TESTING AND REGISTERING THE ACTION QF DRAFT RIGGING. APPLICATION HLEDIULY 7. 191s.

1,137,999. Patented May 4, 1915.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

iI/zf l 'B UNITED STATES rArENr orricn.

WILLIAM H. MINER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR TESTING AND REGISTERING THE ACTION OF DRAFT-RIGGING.

of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for ,Testing and Registering the Action` of Draft-4 Rigging, of which the following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description, refer-l ence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

. My invention relates to machines for testing and registering the action of draft rige'ne- A The object of my invention is to provide a machine of simple construction for accurately testing and recording the action of draft rigging for railway cars.

The -machine embodying my invention comprises vinl coperative combination a bumping post, a recording device mounted independently of the bumping post and having a revoluble disk, means for revolv.

Y ing the same, a marker for the disk, and

means for actuating the marker adapted to engage a railroad car and be given motion thereby, a ocket secured. to the bumping post to receive a draft gear, and a railroad carprovided with a pocket to receive a draft gear in a position -opposed to the draft gear mounted in the pocket of the bumping post so Athat as the car approaches the bumping post the draft gears to be tested are mounted upon the bumping post and carl under conditions closely simulating the conditions l. of actual service, 'and upon such approach the .means for actuating the marker are engaged by the car so that the change in the speed ofthe car and the eifect of the -draft gears thereon may be accurately recorded by the marker upon the disk, which meanwhile isrevolving at a uniform rate of speed.

In the accompanyingl drawings forming a part of this specification-fFigure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention, showing the recording device in longitudinal section; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the recording device; Fig. 3 is an end view of the bumper post, the recording device and the bridge therefor; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a hoisting device and the upper end of an inclined track used `in connection with my device; Fig. 5 isv a side elevation thereof; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lower end ofsaid track showing a railroad car in Speccaton of Letters Patent.

' post.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed July 7, 1913. Serial No. 777,610.

conjunction with my device; Fig. is a side elevation thereof.

In the drawings 8 represents a bumper post, which may be of any suitable design, and mounted upon a railroad track 9. The recording device 10 is mounted independently of the bumper post, preferably upon a bridge .11, the piers 12,- 12 of which are stationed firmly at either side of the railroad track, and preferably outside of the area surrounding the bumper post, subject to upheaval of ballast when. a car engages the bumper post, so as to prevent communication of jars from the bumper post t the said piers. Apocket 13 open at its forward end to receive a draft gear is rigidly mounted to the forward face of thel bumper post, and at the standard height above the track obtainingl in vrailroad practice. The said pocket is provided with a longitudinal way 14 to receive the angular arm 15 of a follower 16.

17 represents a draft. gear to be tested mounted within the pocket 13 of the bumper standard distance above the track in the pocket 19, which is rigidly secured to the represents an opposed draftV gear to be tested, the same being mounted at the end 20 of the railroad car 21. The pocketsr 13 and 19 each are provided with means for rigidly securing thegears to be tested, pref,-

erably the slot 22, in the pocket on the car with a key 23 passing therethrough, and a similar slot 24 and key 25 in the pocket 13 upon the bumper post.

The follower 16 is arranged to-be received between the ends 4of. the gears to be tested, and moves between the same, the angular arm 15 being in sliding engagement with the guide or way '14 in the pocket 13 upon the bumper post. i

The recording devicelO comprises a frame 26 having a base 27 secured to the lbridge 11, preferably by the bolts 28, 28. Extended upwardly at the forward portion of the-base 2 7 is provided the forward arm 29 having the longitudinal perforation 30 therein. Upwardly extended from the rear of the base 27 is provided the rear arm 31 vhaving the longitudinal perforation A32 in alinement with the perforation 30 of the forward arm 29, the perforation 32 terminating in a recess 33. A bar 34 passes through the perforation 30 in the front arm 29, and through the perforation in the rear arm entering the recess 253 in said arm, the recess 33 having mounted therein a spring 35 set at its forward end against the bar 34 and at its rcai ward end against the screw 36, by means of which the tension of the spring S5 may be suitably adjusted.

rlhe forward arm 29 and rearward arm 231 of the recording device are in preferable construction integral with the cup-like mem ber 37 within which the revolving disk;

hereinafter described is seated. Between the.

forward arm 29 and the rear arm 31 is mounted a revoluble disk 38 having a central vertical shaft 3i), which may be driven by any suitable means, preferably a spring mechanism within the box 40'.

ln preferable construction arms 41 are'se- I within the bracket 49, which is .securedl to the forward end 20 of the car 21 by any suitable means, preferably the boltsy 50, the said bracket being provided lwith a set screw 51 adapted to secure the buder 48 at any desired distance fromv the end of the car. The buffer 4S may be advanced to a position and the bar 34 may be secured in a position by means of the sleeve 52 and the set screws 53 thus engaging the inner face of the front arm 29 of the recording device so that the buffer 48 and the bai' meet simultaneously with the meeting of the ends of the opposed gears in the pocket 13 of the bumper post and the pocket 19 upon the car respectively.

A disk 55, preferably of smooth paper or any similar material, is mounted upon the revoluble disk 38. The disk 55 is provided with concentric circles of equal spacing from each other. As for instance a selected radius of the outer circle will be crossed by the other circles at points thereon one-eighth of one inch apart, illustrated by the lines .5G-56 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. rlhe said disk 55 is also provided with equally spaced radial lines 57-57.

To facilitate the use of the recording deroad track 9 is inclined for a portion of its length, as illustrated in liigs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, and at the end of said track is stationed a hoisting plant 60 by means of which and the cable 61 with the truck 62 the car 21 may be dra'wn to any point upon the inclined track to give a predetermined velocity to the same as it approaches the bumper post whenreleased.

In making a test the draft gears to be tested are mounted one in the pocket 19 of the car 21 and one in the pocket 13. The bumper post 8, the bar 34 if the recording device to which the pencil is attached and the buffer 48 upon the car are so adjusted that as the car nears the bumper post in its approach thereto they meet approximately simultaneously with the meeting of the opposed ends of the draft gear, the object being to record on the disk 55 through the diagram described thereon by a moving pencil engaging the uniformly revolving disk, the velocity of the car at the time of the engagement of the opposing gears, and the actual reduction of the velocity up until the time it is brought to a full stop. Also with the disk revolving at a uniform rate the speed and character of the recoil is also indicated on the diagram. The angle of velocity being constant the speed can be determined at any point during `the period 'of retardation. F or instance if the chart or disk 55 were revolved at the'rate of thirty revolutions per minute it would pass through one degree in one one hundred and eightieth ofa second. 1f the pencil should be advanced a radial distance of one inch while the chart revolves one degree it would record a velocity of approximately ten miles er hour, or if the pencil advanced a radia distance of one inch while the chart revolves a distance of two degrees it would record a velocity of substantially live miles per hour.

A study of the variation of the time element involved-with the deceleration curve made by the pencil will illustrate the exact mechanical action of draft gears in performing their function of absorbing shock. The disk 55 may be removed after each test and a new one placed upon the revoluble disk 38, and the curve described by the pencil upon the chart may be then plotted upon a rectangular diagram to graphically indicate the shock absorbing value, and the speed of re tardation of cars by gears subjected to this test.

l claim 1. ln a device of the character described, in combination, a bumper post, a ear, means upon the bumper post and means upon the car to hold draft gears in opposed relation, a recording device located adjacent the bumping post, the said recording device comprising a revoluble disk, a marker for the same and a bar to actuate said marker,

. and means upon the car adapted to .engage l said'bar whereby themarker is operated by the moving car while said disk is revolving and the gears are -in engagement with each other.

2. In a device ofthe character described, a railroadcar, a pocket thereon adapted to receive a draft gear, a bumper post, `a pocket thereon adapted to receive a draft gear, a

recording device mounted independently of the bumper post, said recording device be-4 ing 'provided with a' revolving disk, al

marker therefor, and a bar adapted to be actuated by a car and to actuate said marker.

3. 'In a device of the character described, a'railroad car, a pocket thereon to receive a draft'gear, a bumperV post, a pocket thereon I to receive a draft gear, a follower supported by said last mentioned pocket and in sliding engagement therein, a revoluble disk, means for revolvin the same, a marker for said disk, a bar to actuate said marker, and means upon the said car for actuating the said bar at a .predetermined time in reference to the engagement of two draft gears when placedinthe said pockets.

4. In a device of the character described, an inclined track, a car adapted vto 'operate thereon, means upon said carto secure a draft gear, a bumper post associated with said-track, means thereon to 'secure a draft gear in opposed relation to the first mentioned draft gear, a revoluble disk mounted independently of the ysaid bumper post,4

means for revolving said disk, a marker for the said disk, a bar for actuating said marker, abuffer on the said car adapted to 4 engage the said bar, whereby the rate of travel of the car upon engagement of the opposed draft gears may be recorded by said marker onv said revoluble disk.

5.111 a deviceof the character described,

in combination a bumper post having means jcarried by thev bumper4 post, and means for,

operating said marker from a 'car when a car is movedl toward the bumper post.

Witnesses:

ELEANOR L. NASH',- JoHN A. MARTINKUS.

WILLIAM MINER. 

